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That was heartbreaking to hear, that Jerry didn't know how to feel. "I don't know how to work out this kind of thing either, Jerry. My parents...my dad pretended it was okay, and my mother kept screwing my father anyway. They didn't...they didn't divorce...they didn't..argue as far as I knew. He just put all of the love he felt for her into raising me and I just.." She knew exactly what he meant. Life being Deus was simple, it was easy to go along with. Candace didn't date. She would occasionally sleep with someone but she never dated. Once in a long while she would give herself enough time for a date if someone interested her enough but it was usually only three dates at the most, and they never got anywhere. She didn't give herself the time. She didn't want to feel the heartache that love always seemed to bring around. She didn't want to get hurt. But here she was, hurting a man and hurting herself because she was selfish and greedy. A lustful whore who couldn't be satisfied with what she had. Damnit. Her eyes burned and she closed them tightly, pursing her lips and trying not to whimper as she nodded. She understood.

"I'msorry." She managed to whisper, swallowing hard and trying to think of what to say next. She wanted to hug him, to hold him and kiss him and tell him it'd be okay, and that what he'd seen had just been a terrible dream and hadn't happened. But she couldn't. She wanted to do it so badly and she couldn't.

Then he had to bring up the banging thing. His examples? Laughable. "...Jerry..I can confidently say you will never find me ******** Harrison, Robert or Killer." Candace blinked, sniffing and wiping the corner of her eye. He couldn't have picked more appealing examples? Like Clarice? Or Sasha? Or Stephen or even Lance? Hell, even Caelius? "Well..." How to begin. Where to go. What to do.

"...Do you..in any way, want me?" Candace asked quietly, keeping her tone firm. Had he wanted her for even a second since breaking up with her? Did he miss her? Did he ever think about her? "We could just start simple...we could just, you know, be civil and see where things go. We don't have to date, not unless it's what you want. We'll do things your way, okay? We'll just...let nature take its course. But cut out the snappy remarks at each other, and the fighting, and the awkwardness." She glanced toward where they'd left Sasha. Poor girl. She was trying really hard not to be loud enough for her to hear, but she wasn't sure if she was successful with that or not. The awkwardness she was talking about was not just for them, it was for everyone around them as well. "We can handle it like healthy adults, not bratty children who make everyone want to rip their hair out." Candace turned back to Jerry, frowning.

Sasha's mural on the wall had expanded rather quickly. There was now a fully-fledged little forest, a lush blue pond and a large outcropping of rocks. On the largest rock, at the tippy top there was a majestic unicorn. Its hair was a lovely shade of cotton-candy pink. She'd started on a rainbow that arced high overhead.

It was good practice for a card she had been thinking about making, that much was for certain.

Putting the finishing touch on the unicorn's hair, Sasha sighed and turned back to the fliers.

He didn't pull back from her touch, but he didn't reciprocate it either. He kept his eyes down. "Friends," He managed, "We can.... try to just. Start as friends again. I... I'd like that. At least. I don't... I don't like being angry. I really don't. It's... it's not comfortable, believe me."

He merely smiled, a soft, nervous smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before shrugging, "We're all going to die sooner or later. Life is too short, and all that."

He swallowed, "I should go back. Sasha's waiting for me. We've got... got a lot of work to do, and I'm relieved to have the help."

"Too sweet," He said softly, hands pushing into his pockets as he made his way back down the rows of sleeping, judgmental glowing faces. This was... a step. Was it hte right direction? It didn't necessarily feel like the *wrong* direction.. but it was a direction, and that was something, right?

She had said she loved him. He wasn't sure if he could believe it. But she was fond of him at least, and... and he was.... he had... he didn't know.

"Did you make a bunch?" He called out, picking up his pace as they reached the end of the row.

((SLEEP WHAT IS SLEEP?))

"Mm, and she's in Life...I worry if maybe the people in that division are really the kind of people she should be around. With the exception of Clarice any one of them could well..she's very pretty." Candace decided to leave it at that. Jerry would know what she meant.

As they approached Sasha she tucked her hands into her pockets and moved to stand above her in a way that let he see what the girl was up to, taking a moment to eye the drawing on the wall before turning back to her with a laugh. "Cute. Sorry if we made you uncomfortable, rose bud. Everything's going to be fine now." She flashed Jerry a grin. "Right?" he'd said they could be friends. That he'd like it. Candace hoped he meant it.

Sasha had already started in on some intricate scrollwork around the edges, studiously staring down at the flyer for a long silent moment before she answered Candace.

"It's okay," her voice was soft as she turned slightly to glance up at the other woman. "I'm.. well. I'm glad, you know." Enough said. She really didn't think it pertinent for them to know she'd heard mostly everything they'd said to one another. Sasha didn't think less of either of them - people made mistakes; she'd learned that from her papa. He'd made a lot of mistakes and Sasha still loved him. She'd made her own mistakes too.

Sasha went back to coloring a bold, bright orange along the borders.

"Maybe we can ahh. Maybe we can find cookies, Jerry?" She gave him a covert look, promptly handing him the orange crayon. "And drinks." She punctuated that comment with a large star. "I mean.. I know the kitchen is still broken, but maybe we could uh." Sasha cleared her throat, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Maybe we could ask someone if we could go to the store."

Did that sound ridiculous? Sasha's brows furrowed as she started another flyer.

Sasha wrinkled her nose at Jerry, a broad grin tilting her mouth as he ruffled her hair. There was a brief moment where Sasha was surprised with herself - there was no awkward feeling or mad blushing when Jerry made contact with her. It was so nice.

So nice. So very... not awkward. He was smiling again, too, which.. it was good. Sasha waved her fingers over the pile of crayons she'd transferred to the floor before nabbing a vivid yellow.

"Punch and cookies. And maybe fruit. Like grapes or some.. I don't know. Apples. Maybe cheese. We could make a platter. With crackers." Both feet kicked up behind her now, waving in the air as she scrawled on a fresh sheet of paper. "And no cake."

Sasha gave Candace a small, reassuring smile. She hoped the other woman stayed. Candace looked so happy - it made Sasha feel happy too.